Hypebahn, Hypebahn

Berlin's public transport company BVG has long been setting the standard when it comes to winning the hearts of a younger, hipper target group as a - rather unpopular - transport company. The "Because we love you" campaigns combine warmth, self-irony and cynicism in such an irresistible way that you can't really say no to them. Many Berliners do it anyway, because they would rather have a reliable, friendly means of transport in their everyday lives than an advertising campaign that is celebrated throughout the DACH region.

The hype from Berlin is attracting imitators. Hamburger Hochbahn, which describes itself as "reliable and solid", wants to rejuvenate its image. Why exactly a reliable, solid means of public transport needs to rejuvenate its image is another question - after all, most young people are also primarily concerned with getting from A to B reliably and solidly (see above).

A few days ago, Hochbahn launched the "Advertising according to plan" campaign. A firework display of Internet phenomena and various references to advertising classics (from the BVG sneakers to Van Damme's Volvo splits). The idea is to leave nothing to chance when transporting passengers - and now apply this principle to advertising. This means: a commercial that contains everything that young people like today and that makes advertising successful. Alpacas, cats, influencers, 90s techno, cult old stars like Das Bo or H.P. Baxxter from Scooter, robots, emotions...

That actually sounds quite funny. But it only is to a certain extent. Because cult and hype don't work quite that easily. The trash train left the station long ago at the end of 2018. If you read through the scathing comments on YouTube, you realize that the target group sees it the same way. Some of the comments probably hurt from an agency perspective (Publicis Pixelpark): "Definitely no one under 40 took part in the design of this ad." Or: "Like the teacher who puts his cap on backwards and sits with the back of his chair facing forward in order to go down well with young people." Or: "I don't know about other young people my age, but personally I just feel like I'm being subtly taken for a ride."

Conclusion: Nobody needs hip transportation companies. Not even hip, young people. Or as Vice.com puts it in a nutshell brings"Hardly any other industry can afford to be as bourgeois as local public transport." (hae)